Agencies vie for 5m Apple wing

Apple Computer spin-off company Newton Inc is looking for a pan-European agency to handle its account, worth 5m.

European marketing director Richard Bedlow confirms that the company has already talked to a number of agencies and is planning to draw up a pitch list shortly.

“We are looking to appoint an agency in a matter of weeks, rather than months,” he says.

Bedlow says the company, which was created last month, has had an injection of cash and is planning to step up marketing activity for its only product – a handheld computer, about the size of a video cassette.

The company is developing a brand strategy to increase sales of the product, which was first launched by Apple in 1993. It will also have a new logo to go alongside Apple branding.

Bedlow says the product will be aimed at personal and business users.

Apple will not release specific details of the Newton spin-off deal, but it has said the new company aims to make a profit by the end of next year.

Newton Inc is 80 per cent owned by Apple, the rest is owned by Newton Inc employees worldwide.